Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| TSB-019 | 10/01/2008 | 10027724 | Kia: increased steering effort. in areas where heavy road salt use occurs, increased steering effort and noise (from steering intermediate shaft) for some sedona. *pe | 02/02/2009 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||
| PE08033 | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | 04/28/2008 | 08/28/2008 | STEERING BINDING | ||
| On april 28, 2008, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe08-033 to investigate complaints alleging steering binding in model year 2002 through 2004 kia sedona minivans.kia's response to odi's request for information in pe08-033 indicated that concerns with binding of the steering intermediate shaft were first identified and investigated in august 2002, in vehicles sold in indonesia.this investigation resulted in the addition of a stiffening rib to the bearing cap seal.in june 2003, kia again investigated owner complaints of steering noise and higher than normal steering resistance and in october and november of 2003 design changes to the shaft universal joint bearings were made to improve lubricant retention and eliminate water intrusion that could lead to early bearing failure.according to kia, the alleged defect results in a progressive change in steering effort that should be apparent to the driver through noise and gradual changes in steering stiffness long before the condition could become dangerous. odi's analyses of complaint and warranty data relating to the alleged defect show that the condition is occurring at significantly higher rates in salt-belt states (note:for purposes of this investigation the salt belt includes connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia and wisconsin).the warranty rate for replacement of the steering intermediate shaft is 5.5% for vehicles sold in the salt belt and 0.5% for the rest of the united states.the complaint rate for the alleged defect is 186.8 per 100,000 vehicles in the salt belt and 29.4 per 1000,000 vehicles for the rest of the united states.there is one allegation of a crash related to the alleged defect.a subject vehicle struck two parked cars while attempting to make a left turn, allegedly resulting in minor injuries to the driver. odi has upgraded this investigation to an engineering analysis (ea08-017) covering my 2002 through 2004 kia sedona vehicles sold or currently registered in salt belt states to assess the frequency and trend of the alleged defect and its effect on steering effort. | ||||||
| EA08017 | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | 08/28/2008 | 07/01/2009 | STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BINDING | ||
| Odis analysis of warranty data shows that the alleged defect has occurred at a relatively high frequency in salt-belt states (5.9 percent).however, the tests conducted by odi and kia have shown that the alleged defect has a minimal effect on steering efforts.in addition, odi interviews of owners who experienced the alleged defect showed that in most cases the problem was preceded by months or years of noise or a gradual increase in steering efforts and was more of a nuisance concern. there has been one allegation of a minor crash related to the alleged defect, involving a my 2003 kia sedona with 59,900 miles.the vehicle had been checked twice in the previous nine months by a dealer for complaints of stiff steering and that the vehicle felt like it was intermittently losing power assist.the crash occurred as the driver was attempting to make a left turn while traveling at approximately 20 miles per hour and struck a vehicle parked on the right side of the street that the vehicle was turning into. the crash resulted in minor injuries to the driver. after the crash, it was determined that the intermediate shaft was exhibiting some binding of the steering intermediate shaft bearings.while the absence of additional crashes or injuries does not mean that there is not a safety-related defect, there have been no reported additional crashes caused by the alleged defect in the past three years. the release of the technical service bulletin should assist service personal in diagnosing this potential problem long before it becomes potentially dangerous.accordingly, this investigation is closed. the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist. the agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted.for additional information regarding this engineering analysis refer to the ea08-017 closing report. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 01/18/2012 | 83325 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 kia sedona. the contact was driving 2 mph and attempting a right turn when the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and a private mechanic. the mechanic advised that the rack and pinion failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 83,325 and the current mileage was 85,000. kmj | |||
| 01/18/2012 | 83325 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 kia sedona. the contact was driving 2 mph when the steering wheel seized while making a right turn. the vehicle was taken both to the dealer and a private mechanic. the mechanic confirmed the rack and pinion failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 83,325. and the current mileage was 85,000. rds | |||
| 08/31/2011 | 68000 | ||
| Increased steering effort noted. researched and found nhtsa action # 10027724, and found it was opened and closed twice. the action appeared to be related the intermediate steering shaft and associated universal joint. lubricating the intermediate shaft universal joint appeared to slightly lessen steering effort. | |||
| 06/21/2011 | 61000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 kia sedona. the contact stated that while attempting to make a left turn the steering wheel locked up; making it difficult for the contact to turn the wheel. the contact pushed the brake and then accelerated the gas for the steering wheel to unlock. the dealer was notified but did not assist with diagnosing the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 61,000. nw | |||
| 04/20/2011 | 88000 | ||
| The steering in my 2004 kia sedona is malfuctioning. when turning the steering wheel it now takes a great amount of effort some of the time. it comes and goes. as you turn the wheel it goes from easy to very difficult and you never know when it will happen. after a turn you must turn the wheel back to go straight or it will continue to turn. these 2 problems are very dangerous as i could cause an accident just by making a turn. | |||
| 04/23/2011 | 105000 | ||
| Steering binding.was told at the kia dealership that they have had problems with steering in sedonas now i am paying a high price to get vehicle fixed.i asked why isnt it on recall list they said they dont have anything to do with it.i am leasing a 2004 kiasedona.i have had problem with turning the steering wheel to the left as found in other complaints and was told the rack and pinion steering needed to be fixed | |||
| 02/28/2011 | 145000 | ||
| Power steering seems to fade in and out intermittently. i looked online and see that there area a lot of kia sadona owner that are having the same issue however there is no recall. this is a safety concern and this should be taken care of now before some one gets killed | |||
| 06/22/2010 | 55000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 kia sedona. while trying to make a turn the rack a pinion steering clunks in stages, jerks back and forth and was very hard to turn. the dealer was called and informed them of the problem, they stated the warranty expires and he has to pay for the repairs. the manufacturer was call and stated the warranty has expired and has to pay for the repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 55,000....mw | |||
| 04/06/2010 | 80000 | ||
| My 2004 kia sedona steering column disintegrated causing steering failure. it had to be completely replaced at my cost. | |||
| 03/09/2010 | 47000 | 1 | |
| Power steering seems to fade in and out intermittently. *tr | |||
| 10/16/2008 | 1 | ||
| About a year ago my steering on my 04 kia sedona was getting tight and hard to turn, now there is a clicking noise when turning the steering wheel my friend has an 03 sedona and hers did the same thing is this a recall? *tr | |||
| 04/17/2009 | 67780 | 1 | |
| I have a 2004 kia sedona. i am the only owner. i started having steering problems about 5 days ago. i almost ran into another car turning the corner. i took it into my kia dealer to be told my steering binding has failed. so now i have to pay over $500 to have it repaired, since this is a safety hazard. i believe this to be a defect on my kia. i would like for them to take care of it and reimburse me for my costs. *tr | |||
| 02/02/2009 | 62000 | 1 | |
| While driving, i noticed the steering started to get more and more hard to correct while turning. as you are turning the wheel sticks, then gives and sticks again. while in the stuck position, if you do not turn the wheel harder, the van will continue to lead in the direction. we took the van in for inspection, and were told it was the power steering pump. they replaced it, but we out of the 60,000 mile warranty. thankfully we bought the extended warranty, so it only cost us the $100 deductible. they then told us the power steering belt needed replaced, but was not covered under the extended warranty. after we received the van back, it continued to do the same. we are taking the van back in for service and complaint tomorrow. hopefully they get it right this time. this is not something to think you got it right the first time, has to be absolutely right the first time. especially when you have 2 small kids. *tr | |||
| 12/26/2004 | 1 | 07/27/2004 | |
| They were minor at first, speaker cover, weather stripping, and noise when backing up. then the other problems came: faulty pilot bearing, clutch, and pressure plate, 4wd light, e brake, power windows, paint coming of vehicle in various places, dome lamp,door lock sensor, gear shifter, windshield molding, air bag light,gas pedal sticking, cup holder. the ones that concern me the most is the vibration that i have at speeds of 65-75 mph. the whole steering wheel shakes and the vibration can be felt below. i have seen where there are other complaints on this model for this. i am concerned because i have taken it to the dealer and they cannot locate the problem. i also have problems shifting into lower gears especially in the mornings. i also have problems shifting into 1st gear from neutral. i was sitting at a stop light and when the light turned green went to put my car into first, it would not go, i shifted into 2nd and tried to go into 1st but it would not go. i finally cut the vehicle off and got it into 1st. the other main concern is there is a delay on acceleration. i experience it after my vehicle has sat for 5 or more hours. when the gas pedal is pushed the vehicle will not go or will move several feet and then stop. i have made the dealership aware of these problems and some have been fixed but the major ones, vibration, hesitation, and shifting into 1st cannot be fixed because the cause is unknown. i have already had two close calls in this vehicle one because i could not get my car into gear and i was about hit from behind. the other was the hesitation where the car stalled just as i was pulling onto the road and would not go. the vibration concerns me too because this could be the transmission or steering, and i know that much of a vibration has to affect other things as well. i am going to contact someone about trying to declare this vehicle as a lemon. i am concerned for my daughter's safety and this is my only source of transportation. please help me. *jb | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 07/12/2009 | 50000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 kia sedona. when making turns she can hear a clinging noise in the steering column. also she experienced difficultly steering. the vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection. she was advised that the intermediate shaft binding needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 50000. | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 03/20/2008 | 89000 | 4 | 09/11/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia sedona. while her daughter was driving at about 5 to 10 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn in all driving conditions. the contact also heard a squeaking sound when turning the steering wheel. the steering shaft u-joint failure (badly corroded) caused the contact to crash the front end of her vehicle into the bridge on her driveway. she has not taken the vehicle to a dealer. the dealer said that there is a national back order for steering intermediate shaft. the vin was unknown. the current mileage was 90,000 and failure mileage was 89,000. | |||
| 08/18/2004 | 1825 | 15 | 07/28/2004 |
| While driving 50 mph vehicle stalled. vehicle was still driveable. dealership informed the consumer that there transmission failed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak dealer stated problem was caused by electricl harness. also having multiple failures with output speed sensor; transmission 3 times; thermostat assembly; power steering leaked; input speed sensor; low ground voltage failed; fuse block problems; cruise control. consumer was advised that due to the design of the cruise control, the vehicle accelerates often while on an incline at 45 to 55 mph as if vehicle's engine/transmission was racing. *tt *tc | |||